


Double Trouble

by Mushy_Snugglebites



Series: Double or Nothing [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angry Sex, Blow Jobs, Clothed Sex, F/M, Lazy Sex, Multi, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex, Shameless Smut, Swearing, Sweet Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, but only for like two seconds because that word is so unsexy it's not even funny, emotions running high, from lazy to angry to sweet, i considered the tag spitroasting for informational purposes, now with a modicum of actual romance-y plot, this fic has it all, yes that's right - Freeform, yup that's right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-10-28 13:52:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10832604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mushy_Snugglebites/pseuds/Mushy_Snugglebites
Summary: Elena has second thoughts about her arrangement with the guys. She breaks it off when a more conventional suitor appears on the scene – but can a Turk ever settle into an ordinary life?





	1. Clouds on the Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a bit different from the smutty fics I written so far. There's a bit of plot, not to mention all these ~feelings~ that complicate things. Be... warned?

Elena was kneeling between Reno and Rude on the couch. She faced Rude, and was pulling down his zipper, little by little. His erection strained against his red boxers, begging for more attention; the proud result of her handiwork. She'd been stroking the front of his trousers for some time, until he'd been writhing and groaning under his breath.

Rude wore his uniform pants, paired with a borrowed t-shirt which was far too big for her anyway. It looked like muscle tee on him. She was not complaining. Reno had only bothered with his boxers, and Elena had thrown on her usual sleepwear: striped pajama pants and a tank top. Yet another lazy Saturday, with her and the guys on a couch. Her couch, this time.

She freed Rude's cock from his underwear. It was delightfully firm in her hand, hot and smooth. The sight of it made her mouth water. She flicked her tongue across the underside of the tip; a touch she knew would only ramp up his desire with no threat of satisfaction. She rolled her tongue around the head of his cock, _slowly_ , savoring the slight saltiness of his bare skin, and the needy noises that slipped through his self-control filled her with a tingle of gratification. Even the tiniest sound felt like a victory, when it was _Rude_ making them – especially when he was loud enough for her to hear him over the movie they'd been watching.

"You just gonna tease the poor guy, Lena?"

Elena raised a hand and flipped Reno off over her shoulder. As he chuckled, she brought her hand back down to caress Rude's thighs as she licked his shaft, keeping her tongue soft and flat. By the time his whole cock was slick and wet, he was practically whining with every heaving breath. With a self-satisfied smile, she wrapped her hand around his slicked-up cock and guided it into her mouth. Above her, Rude responded with a pleasurable groan, and placed his large hand on the back of her head. His fingers pushed deeper into her hair, and gently massaged her scalp as she pleasured him with her mouth.

The TV went mute, and Elena felt Reno's hands on her waist, felt him tug at the string of her pajama bottoms. He slid them down to her knees with no particular urgency, and caressed her thighs on his way up to do the same with her panties. The couch shifted as he positioned himself behind her, and soon she felt the tip of his hard cock at her entrance. Three out of three. He'd enjoyed the other two the night before.

Reno began to push in without fanfare, slowly filling her up with the same laziness that had permeated their Saturday morning, and she welcomed every last inch of hot, sweet friction. She heard a satisfied sigh as his balls brushed up against her, and then he was withdrawing again. He matched the slow pace she was using to suck Rude off; he sank into her as she took Rude deeper, and pulled back when she did. It was a languid, laid-back pleasure, which only got better when he reached around her to tease her clit.

Rude groaned. His hips jerked as he struggled to keep still; he was getting close. She would swallow, when the time came. She'd tasted them both, several times, but she preferred Rude. Reno's cum had a bitterness to it – his smoking and poor eating habits had something to do with that, she suspected. Rude, the health and fitness buff, tasted almost sweet.

Her own thighs were twitching; she was getting close, too. Reno was rubbing her clit in slow, slick circles, in time with his deliciously deep thrusts. His other hand caressed her back and her ass, drawing matching patterns with his thumb, and made her skin tingle with delight. He'd gotten damnably good at getting her off in just a couple of months. He knew where she wanted his fingers, how to slowly increase the pressure as her orgasm started to build. She didn't even need to tell him when she'd reached the point where he had to make damn sure not to change a single thing about how he was stroking her. He knew how to read her body, knew how to make it _sing_.

She was at that point now. Her muscles squeezed tight around his stiff cock, trying to hold onto him whenever he pulled out, and grew even tighter from pleasure as he pushed back in. She was rocking into his firm fingers, making the most of his effort and bringing it all a notch higher, right where she needed it.

Just when she thought her body couldn't coil any tighter, she hit the brink and all that unbearable tension broke free. She squeezed her eyes shut and her hand clenched around Rude's fat cock as she wailed and moaned around it, feeling wave after wave of sweet relief crash through her body. With a choked gasp, his whole body went stiff under her, and his thick liquid hit the back of her throat. The warmth of it always threw her off for a second, doubly so when her mind was still blank with ecstasy, and all she could manage was another wanton, breathless moan.

More of Rude's cum spilled onto her tongue; both a bit salty and a bit sweet. Elena swallowed and swallowed again, using her tongue and lips to catch every stray drop that threatened to trickle down his shaft. As she lapped it all up, she felt Reno's fingers dig into her hips as he ground in as deep as he could go, stretching every sensitive inch of her pussy, which still throbbed with the aftershocks of her orgasm. With a long moan he came inside her, slowly rocking into her as he rode it out.

Reno pressed a kiss to the back of her neck before he eased out of her. As she straightened up, Rude cupped her cheek and kissed her on the other. She pulled up her pants and excused herself for a quick bathroom break. She grabbed a tall glass of orange juice from the kitchen on her way back, and settled back in between the guys on the couch to watch the rest of the movie they had playing.

The three of them parted ways in the evening, like they always did. Elena made herself a cup of tea, hoping to soothe herself, but it did nothing to ease her restless feelings.

There hadn't been anything wrong with the weekend. The guys had been in a good mood, and they'd all had a pleasant time. It had been fun, and satisfying... but it had hardly been soul-shattering _passion_.

Passion. Romance. The exciting giddiness of infatuation. Elena sighed and cradled her cup of tea in both hands.

During her... arrangement with Reno and Rude, Elena had noticed tiny things at first – or the lack of them, to be exact. She'd caught herself hoping for a sweet kiss goodbye that never came, or the comforting warmth of a hand in hers. It had grown into idle fantasies about finding flowers on her desk, or chocolates, or... well, _anything_. She craved a touch of romance.

She had no doubt that the guys would kill for her, as she would kill for them. In their line of work, though, that had less to do with romantic notions and everything to do with practicality.

That was it. She cared about the guys, and she knew they cared about her, but what they had was just a practical arrangement. A convenient way to scratch an itch. They were friends and colleagues; it was pointless to wait and hope that one day some stray gust of romance might blow into their relationship and sweep her off her feet.

With another long sigh, Elena rested the rim of the cup against her lips. It was no coincidence that her thoughts had veered in this direction. Her grandmother had called on Tuesday; she would turn sixty-five in two months' time and planned to celebrate in style. The invitation to her birthday bash came with the usual questions. _Do you want to bring someone along? Isn't it time you thought about settling down? Isn't a big place like Edge brimming with nice young men?_

On Friday that week Elena had gone for an early morning run before work; just her usual laps around a nearby park. In the year she'd kept up the routine, three times a week, she'd come to recognize a few familiar faces. One of them was a tall man with black-rimmed glasses, who usually showed up on Mondays and Fridays. As the months had passed, the odd breathless exchange of words had turned into brief chats during breaks, which had turned into shared laps.

And this Friday... he'd _flirted_ with her.

She could have been mistaken, of course... but the memory wouldn't leave her alone. At the time, she'd been floating from the power of a thousand butterflies fluttering in her belly. Now, she couldn't stop wondering how his dark, windswept hair might look when properly combed into place.

She wasn't unavailable, really. It wasn't as if she and the guys had made any promises. It was just their weekend fun. A way to blow off steam, nothing more. It was never meant to last.

Elena went for a run in the park on Monday morning. Her running buddy was there, all charming smiles and lighthearted quips. By the halfway mark of their run she was absolutely certain he was flirting with her.

She flirted back.

* * *

 

Reno burst out of Tseng's office and shimmied between his and Rude's desks in an impromptu dance, humming loudly. Some of his hair had escaped the clutches of his goggles, and hung in front of his eyes in messy red bangs. He came to a halt at Elena's desk, a bright grin on his boyish face.

"Yo, Lena!" He rapped a quick drumroll on her desk with two fingers. "It's Friday, baby! Drinks at Goblins tonight?"

It was the question she'd been dreading all day. She'd childishly hoped that, unlike the previous eight weeks or so, this would be the Friday the guys would choose not to suggest anything.

"I can't," she said with a weak, apologetic smile. "I have plans tonight."

"Oh, okay." He glanced at Rude, who had chosen to clear their desks by going around them, then shrugged. "Rain check?" he asked, pointing at her with his drumming fingers.

It was better to rip off this bandaid early. Elena went behind enough backs on the job. She didn't want any of it in her personal life.

"Sorry, but... no."

Reno had already taken a couple of steps toward the door, but that made him stop in his tracks.

"Huh?" He peered at her face as he slowly returned to her desk. "Something wrong?"

"No. Things have changed, that's all." She took a moment to muster her courage for the big reveal. "I have a date."

"A _date_? Who with?"

Something about his tone irked her. Maybe it was the sheer incredulity of it. Was it that hard to believe she could get a date?

"His name is Fabio," she began, but was cut short by Reno's snort of laughter.

" _Fabio_?"

"Yes, _Fabio_ ," she ground out through tightly clenched teeth. "He's a lawyer, and that's all you need to know."

Reno's amusement vanished. Maybe it was her tone, or maybe he finally deigned to believe her. A frown appeared as he searched her face. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, then he just scoffed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"A fucking _lawyer_ ," he muttered as he stomped over to the door.

Rude had remained still and silent. Elena couldn't see his eyes through his shades, but she could feel him watching her.

"Goodbye," he rumbled.

Elena felt a tug on her heart. He could have said something like "enjoy your evening", or "have a good weekend", or maybe even "see you Monday".

 _Goodbye_.            

Reno had stopped by the door. As his partner walked past him and left, he looked over at Elena.

"It won't last, you know."

His face was somber, and he sounded so... certain. It knocked the breath out of her.

Then a wave of irritation washed away her astonishment. So what? He wasn't always _right_. Cocky, that's what he was.

"And what makes you so sure about that?" Her voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade.

"I know you, Lena. You're one of us. This guy, whoever he is... He ain't."

"We had sex a few times," she said, low and steady. "That doesn't mean you know me."

For just a fraction of a second, she saw his face fall. He covered it up quickly with a scowl.

"Yeah? Well, we work together too, and I sure as hell know what it takes to do this job. Sooner or later, this _Fabio_ will decide he doesn't like the hours you put in, or that you drop everything the second one of us calls for backup, or that you sleep with a gun by the bed. Or you'll get sick of his normal, boring life and his normal, boring friends, until you can't even look at his normal, boring face anymore!"

As he spoke, a heat flashed over her face and spread all over her skin. With every word it burned hotter, sank in deeper, until her blood was simmering in her veins. Always so cocky. Always so _full of himself_.

"It's over, Reno," she spat, "and it wasn't much in the first place. Deal with it!"

Something flashed in his eyes. She could see his jaw working, and braced for an eruption.

It never came. With one last glare, he strode out and slammed the door shut.


	2. Tempest

Fabio was waiting for her as she stepped out of the taxi. His hair was neatly slicked back, and the fabric of his gray, tailored suit shimmered faintly in the streetlight. _Oh my_ , thought Elena.

"Oh, Elena. You look stunning."

She felt her whole self light up in a smile as she coyly smoothed out her trusty little black dress. Reno and Rude had never called her _stunning_.

The restaurant he'd picked was a cozy, family-run place that specialized in the classic home cooking of the region with a Mideel twist. Elena couldn't have chosen better herself.

"So," she said, setting down her glass of wine, "tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do when you're not busy being a hot-shot lawyer?"

Fabio chuckled, and took a sip of his own wine.

"Well, since you asked... I'm quite fascinated by the ancient past."

"You're a history buff?"

"My interests go a bit further back than recorded history, actually. Have you ever been up north, to Bone Village?"

"I have, yes."

A speck of a town on the shore of the northern continent, Elena recalled. Home to one of the richest families on Gaia, along with a number of influential businessmen.

Well... _formerly_ influential, in at least one case.

"Really?" His eyes brightened. "Have you been to the digs?"

"Can't say that I have, sorry." She wondered if she should make up some excuse for her visit. Detailed accounts of threatening violence upon Shinra's rivals weren't exactly first-date material.

"Oh, that's a shame," Fabio said with a little sigh. "The whole area is a goldmine for fossils. They have found bones from creatures as big as houses! Once upon a time, these ancient beasts roamed all of Gaia. Can you imagine that? A world full of giant beasts?"

Elena smiled and shrugged. She didn't quite see the point in dwelling on bones as crusty as the rocks they were buried under, when she could just go to any old reactor site and come face to face with real live hulking monsters.

"Did you know that the exact age of these bones is still undetermined? They've tried everything from radiometry to pinpointing the layers of rock above and below the fossils, but–" He cut himself off with a sheepish chuckle. "Damn, here I go again. I'm sorry, I must be boring you."

_–you'll get sick of his normal, boring life–_

"Oh, no, not at all," she lied brightly, reaching for her wine. "Please, go on." She'd be damned if she proved Reno right on the first date.

By the time their dinner arrived, her eyes were beginning to glaze over.

* * *

 

Elena stared at the message on her PHS.

_Thank you for your company last night. I feel we really connected. It's rare to find someone so interested in the relics of the past! I look forward to seeing you again._

Giddiness drowned out the faint twinge of guilt. The formal slant of Fabio's language seemed... chivalrous. She felt courted. _Romanced_.

They met up for a run on Monday morning, and agreed on a second date a couple of days later. It was an upscale restaurant he'd picked this time. The sort of place Elena was more likely to set foot in on duty, guarding the President during one of his many business lunches. Maybe Fabio had decided she was worth the gil, since she was willing to listen to his endless lectures on dry old bones.

Elena banished that stray sour thought from her mind and smiled at her date.

"Do you come here often?"

"Not really," he mumbled, more focused on his menu.

She picked up hers and scanned through it. It was a short list in cursive font, liberally spaced to take up the whole page it was printed on. The prices were double what she would expect at her usual haunts. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it – Turks were paid well – but she didn't see the point of shelling out on food when there were better things she could spend her gil on, like custom-built firearms and pretty shoes.

Fabio got her attention with a soft cough.

"I only come here for special occasions," he added.

Elena's stomach did a happy little flip.

"Special, huh?"

He smiled. "Only the best for my girl."

And right after that happy flip, her stomach sank like a stone. His _girl_? _His_ girl? Rude and Reno had never called her _their_ _girl_ , even though they had–

Elena cleared her throat and smiled broadly.

"Anything _special_ you can recommend?"

* * *

 

Fabio had offered to pick her up, so he also drove her home. He even insisted on walking her to the door.

"Thank you for dinner," she said. "It was lovely."

"It was my pleasure."

He smiled, hovering beside her, and Elena realized he was hoping to get invited in for a nightcap. Perhaps he hoped it would lead to more. Maybe he wanted to kiss her. Touch her. Make out on the couch. Her couch. _Their_ couch.

Something welled up in her that was a lot like panic.

"I've got an early morning tomorrow," she blurted. "Work, you know."

"Oh, of course. Well, um... I'll call you?"

"Okay," she smiled in relief.

Fabio removed his hands from his pockets, and she thought he would leave. Instead he placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in with pouting lips. Elena turned her head at the last second, and his kiss landed on her cheek.

If he was bothered by it, he hid it well.

"I had a great time tonight," he murmured as he pulled away. "Sleep well, Elena."

She nodded mutely and watched him leave, her cheek burning.

Ten minutes later Elena was out of her dress and in her bed, waiting for sleep to come. Unfortunately, sleep seemed awfully far away, even though she was wiped out. Not physically; it was the kind of mental exhaustion she would feel after spending an evening undercover.

That was not a pleasant thought.

It would pass, she told herself. She was just nervous, and unused to dating after so long. It would get better as soon as she felt more at ease around Fabio.

Elena spent most of the night trying to console herself with that thought.

* * *

 

With a gigantic yawn, Elena poured her second office coffee of the morning. Or maybe it was her third. She was too tired for such details.

"Date went well, huh?"

Reno's dry remark told her nothing. She flinched aside, and studied him over the rim of her cup as he grabbed the pot and filled his mug. She couldn't read his intent in his face either. It irked her immensely.

"As a matter of fact, it did. Fabio is very..." Elena spent a few frantic seconds racking her brain. "Knowledgeable. And polite."

His lips twitched.

"Oh. Wow. _Polite_. Sounds like a real dreamboat."

"Women appreciate polite men," she snapped. "Maybe _you_ should try it sometime!"

She stormed past him to her desk and didn't look back.

* * *

 

Elena picked up her pace. It had been a long day of travel to Junon and back, made even longer when one of the helicopter's rotor blades had needed unexpected repairs before their return. Rationally, she knew it hadn't been Reno's fault... but she was fuming at him nonetheless.

Fabio was waiting at their table at the restaurant, a half-full glass of wine held loosely in his fingers.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said as she took a seat. "I got held up at work."

She looked up when he didn't respond. He was eyeing her suit.

"That's, uh..." He cleared his throat. "That's not a Turk uniform, is it?"

Elena froze. In her rush, she hadn't given her clothing a second thought. _Play it cool_ , she told herself. _Don't make it a big deal_.

"And if it is?"

"You told me you work in security."

"I do," she said, smiling sweetly.

Fabio snatched up his glass and swallowed a big gulp of wine.

"Don't worry," she teased. "You'll be fine as long as you behave yourself."

It took a long while before she could lure a smile out of him that evening.

* * *

 

Elena gazed at herself in the mirror. That herd of jittery butterflies had returned, fluttering madly in her tummy. The dress she had bought that day was a shapely little burgundy number, with a halter neck that left her upper back bare. She'd never shown off this much cleavage, but the hem came down below her knees, which made her feel a little more comfortable. The slit in the back went halfway up her thigh, of course... but it revealed only a glimpse of leg at most.

The dress was bolder than anything she'd worn since her teenage years... but it was stylish, and feminine, and everything her Turk suit wasn't.

Maybe it would be enough to make Fabio call her _stunning_ again.

After his startled reaction to her uniform, she was determined to show him more of her dainty side. She didn't want him to spend another date picturing her feeding someone a knuckle sandwich. She'd even invested in stay-ups and a skimpy thong, and completed her look with a visit to the hairdresser.

Her PHS rang, and Elena's heart kicked into a giddy gallop when she saw Fabio's name on the screen.

"Hi there," she cooed. "Ready to pick me up?"

The line was silent for several heartbeats.

"Elena... I don't think this will work out."

He said a few more words that she barely heard, offered up some apologetic platitudes that meant nothing. Then, the line went dead.

Crestfallen, she stared at her PHS, dark and silent. In less than a minute, all her hopes and expectations had slipped through her fingers like water. In a daze, she dropped the phone on her bed and lumbered into the kitchen. On a top shelf in one of the cupboards sat a half-full bottle of vintage sherry; her special treat for special days.

Half an hour later, the sherry bottle was empty and Elena's mood had gone from grief to woozy fury. How dare that stuck-up lawyer pull this on her? Damn him! No, wait, _fuck_ him! She was all dressed up for a Friday night, and with or without him, a Friday night she would have! She stomped into her bedroom, snatched up her PHS, and dialed a taxi.

Elena had the driver cruise the streets until she spotted a bar she'd never been to with Reno and Rude. It was a noisy and sweaty place, vibrating with a sultry beat that was far too loud, and nothing like the pubs they'd go to for after-work drinks. _Good_. She made a beeline for the bar, ordered a shot which she instantly poured down her throat, then ordered another. If she was to stand an evening in this place, she needed way more alcohol in her system.

She looked around as the bartender poured her shot. On her right a row of people swayed at the bar with blank, glistening faces, waiting for their turn. On her left–

Elena's face went cold.

A couple of people stood between them, and he was turned away from her, but there was no mistaking that spiky hair and thin red tail down his back. Elena whipped her head back around, glaring down at the bar counter. What was he doing here, _of all places_? She snuck a peek at the brunette in his company, but didn't recognize her. What did he see in her, anyway? She was too tall, and too curvy, and too pretty–

The bartender set down Elena's second shot. She downed it in one go, then pushed herself off the counter and made her unsteady way to the pair. He was still wearing his Turk uniform; his jacket hung open as usual and his shirt was mostly unbuttoned. Maybe the suit worked better for men. Elena's rage burned hotter.

At the hard tap on his shoulder, Reno turned around. His eyes went wide when he saw her.

"Lena?" His eyes dropped down to her cleavage, and his jaw dropped. "Whoa, that's–"

"You called it," she snapped. "It didn't last. Happy now?"

As he stared at her, his mouth hanging _stupidly_ open, a frown appeared on his face.

"Of course I'm not fucking happy."

"Why not?" She felt her face twist oddly as she tried to smile. "You were right, and I was wrong."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he groaned. "It's not about being right or wrong!"

"Isn't it? Isn't that what you're always trying to prove? 'Just ignore those soldiers, we're on vacation'," she mimicked. "'If you'd listened to me, you'd never have gotten caught'."

"What? What's gotten into you?"

"Reno...?" The brunette eyed them both cautiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I ruining your date?" Elena crooned. "Don't worry, I'll just get out of your hair now." She leaned closer to the other woman. "Just between you and me, though, I hope you're not expecting any romance from this guy," she hissed out in a theatrical whisper. "He won't bother with so much as a kiss goodbye in the morning."

She turned on her heel, swaying precariously, then tottered out of the bar as quickly as she could on her narrow heels.

"Lena!"

He called her name just as she stepped out in the crisp evening air. It sounded closer than she would have expected. She made a quick right, lurched into the nearest alley, and scampered along until she found a corner to hide behind.

Elena closed her eyes to stop the world from spinning and clutched her purse to her chest. She couldn't hear any footsteps... but it was hard to tell for sure, the way her ears were ringing after the thumping music.

She peeked around the corner, and yelped as she came face to face with Reno.

"Gods!" she yelled. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Hey, just chill, will you? I'm just checking in on you."

"Checking _up_ on me, more like," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "Why don't you just go back to your date!"

"She's not my date, just someone who showed up to chat for a while." He held out his hand. "Come on, Lena, let's get you home."

Elena ground her teeth together. She hated that soothing voice he was using, like he was the only sensible one here. She hated the way she slurred her words and proved him right.

"Leave me alone," she hissed, backing away from him. "I don't need your help!"

"You show up out of nowhere, drunk enough to scream your head off at people? Of course I ain't gonna let you wander off alone!"

She'd backed herself into a corner. The only way out was through Reno, and she was far too inebriated to take him head on. She needed a distraction.

Elena threw her purse at him, and as he ducked, she followed up with a punch to the gut. His hand caught her wrist before her fist connected, and wrenched her arm up between them. He stared down into her face, his brow wrinkled in disbelief.

"The fuck's your problem?"

"You're my fucking problem!"

She rolled her wrist and shoved her elbow out toward him. It was sloppy, but it was enough to twist her arm out of his grip, and she immediately lashed out in another hasty swing. He caught it with ease, which only infuriated her more. When she tried to kick him, he shoved her into the wall, pinning her legs with his own.

"Would you fucking stop that already?" he spat, his face only a couple of inches from hers.

The bricks were cold and rough against her bare shoulders. It should have been enough to snap her out of her fit of rage, but the heat of his body, the firmness of it as he pressed up against her, uncorked a torrent of lust that flooded the last rational parts of her brain. She lunged forward and mashed her lips against his.

Reno froze. His fingers loosened, and she tried to yank her wrist free. With a growl deep in his throat he tightened his grip again, and shoved his tongue into her mouth.

A primal haze came over her, tinted red by rage and booze, and turned the kiss into a savage mess of snarls and bitten lips. Reno pressed into her harder, crushing her between himself and the wall, and she ground her hips against his, goading him on.

He let go of her wrist, and she took the chance to tangle her fingers in his hair, balling them into a tight fist. His hand was between them, fumbling for something, until she heard the sharp rasp of a zipper. He yanked up her dress and pushed in close, pressing his hot, hard cock against her stomach. He let go of her other arm, dipped down and grabbed her ass with both hands. The next thing she knew he was hoisting her up, scraping her bare shoulders against the brick. She yelped and wound her legs around his hips as he clawed her thong to the side. With a grunt of brutish lust, he rammed his cock inside her to the hilt.

Elena gritted her teeth as he set a ruthless pace, pounding into her like a piston. The bricks scraped her skin with every thrust; a burn that mingled with the moist heat of his frantic breaths down her neck. A different kind of heat was building between her legs, a mounting wet fervor that only grew as he plunged into her, again and again. Pleasure and pain wound together into a twisted gratification that racked her body and seared her mind into a red hot nothing.

With a guttural cry, Reno drove into her hard enough to knock her head against the wall. He shoved into her again, harder, and then he went still.

His ragged panting was loud in her ear, as loud as her own. Faintly, she could make out the pulsing beat that leaked into the alley from the bar. Her head was throbbing. So was her pussy, clutching helplessly around the member that was still buried inside her, still eager for a release that Elena's mind no longer wanted. As the passion and fury ebbed out, she felt colder and colder.

He set her down. She flattened a hand against the wall, trying to stay upright on her shaky legs. With the other, she tried to push down the skirt of her dress. Reno grabbed the hem and pulled awkwardly. She would have smacked his hand away, had she not been so desperate to cover herself. Her chafed shoulders throbbed in time with her pounding heart, and when she reached up to smooth down her hair, she realized it was a hopeless tangle.

"Uh... Nice dress."

His awkward remark, so far from the gallant praise she'd been longing for, was the final nail in the coffin. With a choked gasp, Elena burst into tears.

"Fuck, Lena! That ain't how you're supposed to take a compliment!"

With tears streaming down her face, she tugged her dress down as far as it would go. She could feel his cum seep into her underwear, felt it ooze down her thighs in a warm trickle. Why had she done this? After everything she had told him, in such certain terms, how could she have allowed this to happen?

"Hey..." Reno raised his hand, reaching for her.

"Why don't you just go to hell!" She shoved his arm aside and pushed past him.

"Oh, no. No fucking way."

He grabbed her elbow, and spun her around to grab the other one, too. She struggled in his grip, but he held on.

"Let me go!"

"Not a chance," he growled in her face. "I can put up with you yelling at me when you're piss-drunk. I'll even be your stand-in hatefuck. But I won't have you blaming me for your misery. I ain't the bad guy here."

His fingers squeezed her elbows tight. She could have tried kicking him again, but her knees felt unsteady and her head was spinning too violently.

"What do you want?" she yelled, only it came out as a blubbery sob. She hung her head in shame as the tears kept flowing.

Reno's hold on her softened, but all she could do with her freedom was to hide her face in her hands. He took a step closer, and she felt him touch her hair, gently guiding her head to his shoulder.

"This," he whispered and wrapped his arms around her.

It was the last thing she'd expected from him, and exactly what she needed. Standing in Reno's arms in a seedy alley behind a bar, Elena finally let herself go to pieces and bawled her eyes out.

Once her sobs had dwindled to mere sniffles, she lowered her hands and slid them in under his jacket and around his waist. He was warm and solid, and still held her close to his chest.

"I can't believe you stuck around," she hiccupped into the smooth fabric of his jacket, damp with her tears. "The way I treated you..."

"Hey. We're Turks."

He said it as if it explained everything. Maybe it did.

Elena squeezed him tight, then let him go and stepped back. Reno looked her over and smiled.

"That really is a nice dress, by the way."

With a tear-sodden snort, Elena wiped her eyes.

"Thanks. And if we're being honest now... You weren't a stand-in," she confessed. "It was you I wanted all along."

"All that hate was meant for me? Ouch." His tone was warm, teasing.

"It wasn't a hatefuck," she managed to get out between stupid, miserable giggles. "I'm just so drunk, and so upset, and so damn _frustrated_..."

"...So you decided to take a swing at me instead," he finished for her with a dry chuckle. "Do us both a favor, Lena. Next time you want to fuck me, just ask."

She nodded emphatically as she dried her cheeks, and noticed that her fingers smudged black. After all that bawling, her makeup must have smeared into a complete mess.

Reno bent down to pick up her purse and handed it to her, then took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She hissed as it rubbed against her scratched skin.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I've got Restore materia back at my place. It's just a couple of blocks away, we can pop in on the way to yours." He paused, giving her a lopsided grin. "Assuming you're okay with me walking you home, that is."

He stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets, the sleeves of his loose shirt bunched up around his wrists. With his tattoos and hair and sloppy dress sense he looked far from professional, compared to a certain lawyer in a sharp suit... but Elena knew damn well whom she'd want at her back in a pinch.

"Yeah," she said with a frail smile. "I'm okay with it."

"Well, then." With a ridiculous flourish, he presented his arm. "Shall we?"

Elena giggled and hooked her arm with his.

As they strolled out of the alley, she was grateful for his support. The effects of her drinking hadn't abated much, and while she loved the look of pretty high heels, she didn't often get a chance to walk in them. The strappy things she was wearing were really pinching her toes now.

"You know, when I said it wouldn't last... I wasn't trying to be an asshole," Reno said quietly. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt."

Elena blinked in surprise. She was a bit too tipsy to think of anything to say, so she just gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry I went off on you like that," she said after a while, speaking slowly so she wouldn't slur her words too much. "I don't know what I saw in that guy." She let out her breath in a long sigh, staring up at the neon reds and greens blinking above them as they passed the front of another bar. "I guess it wasn't about him, really. I just wanted a normal relationship. A bit of romance."

"Romance is overrated. So is normal, for that matter."

She sighed again... or maybe scoffed. She couldn't even tell anymore.

"I just feel so stupid."

"Don't. We've all been there."

She glanced up at him, but the neon colors flashing across his face made it impossible to read his expression.

"Even Tseng?" she asked, half-jokingly.

"Yeah," he said with a soft chuckle. "Even Tseng."

Elena felt a twinge in her heart. It surprised her; she'd gotten over her unrequited crush a long time ago. The alcohol was making her too damn moody.

"Best face it now, Lena. Turks don't get 'normal' relationships. It's the price we pay for the snazzy suit."

That cut even deeper.

"It didn't work out this time. That doesn't mean it never will."

"Sorry, Lena." His laugh was bone dry now, little more than a wheeze. "I've seen it happen too many times to stick to that kind of hope."

"Well, go ahead and laugh all you want, but I'd actually _like_ a bit of romance in my life. I want to go on dates, and hold hands on walks, and go dancing, and watch sunsets and... and... hell, I don't know, normal things! I don't want to spend my whole life getting drunk on Friday nights and having casual hangover sex with coworkers!"

Reno stayed silent. They were both quiet a while.

"You busy this weekend?"

"No," she sighed. It figured that the only thing he'd take from that was the chance of them slipping back into their weekend routine.

"I found this quiet little place a while back, halfway up to Healen. Just a patch of grass, really, but real pretty, right by a waterfall. How about we go there for a picnic tomorrow? You, me, and Rude."

Elena stared up at him in surprise. Had she heard that right?

"Are you... You're not asking me on a _date_ , are you?"

"I guess I am," he said with a crooked smile. "Well, me and Rude. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm sure he's up for it."

She squinted up at him, trying to read his face. "Are you serious?"

His smile grew wider.

"Just so you know, I'm totally down for dancing, too. Rude's probably more the holding hands type of guy. Oh, hey, do you like jazzy music? Because he's off in Kalm for a concert or something. I'll bet he'd love some company next time."

As he drawled on, her mouth slowly fell open.

"You are. You're serious about this."

He nodded, chuckling.

"I know it ain't exactly the kind of romance you're looking for, but it can still be a good time." He gave her arm a little squeeze. "Come on. What do you say?"

Slowly, a smile spread across her face.

"Okay. It's a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, this one's getting away from me. It was only meant to be a couple of chapters, but we're not done yet...


	3. Downdraft

When Elena woke up, she knew straight away that the bed she was in wasn't hers; the covers were too heavy and the pillow too thin. A warm, solid body was pressed up against her back, an arm draped loosely over her waist. She smiled and placed her hand on top of his. It may not have been her bedroom, but she knew exactly where she was; she inhaled the scent of Reno's aftershave with every breath. She even recognized his sheets, with their uneven stripes in blue, white and brown.

Considering his reputation, she would have guessed his bed was covered in black satin and reflected in a mirror on the ceiling. She'd even made a joke along those lines, the first time she'd been to his place. He'd rolled his eyes and told her not to believe every rumor that came her way.

Elena felt a twinge of shame. Maybe she had put too much stock in those rumors, considering how easily she'd written him off as a casual distraction. He may have been quick to jump into bed with her, but he was just as quick to jump to her aid. Last night he'd offered up his materia, his shower, the contents of his fridge, his bed. She'd accepted the first offer, then the second. Once she'd gotten out of her pinching heels, she hadn't wanted to put them back on. And once she'd slumped onto Reno's bed, she _really_ hadn't wanted to get up again.

She was ready to get up now, though. A plan was taking shape in her mind and she wanted to get started on it before he woke up. Carefully, she lifted his arm and slipped out from under it. Reno stirred, blinking up at her with drowsy eyes, and frowned.

"I'm not leaving," she whispered, stroking his mussed-up hair out of his face. "Go back to sleep."

Smiling, she kept caressing his hair until his frown melted away and his eyelids fluttered shut again.

As far as Elena knew he didn't own a bathrobe, so she pulled on one of his t-shirts and headed to the kitchen corner. The coffeemaker was soon puttering away, filling the nook with the welcome scent of fresh coffee.

She was glad she'd had the presence of mind to drink several glasses of water before bed; what could have been a killer hangover was nothing more than a dull pressure behind her eyes. It was a mild enough that it wouldn't keep her from her self-appointed task.

By the time Reno shambled out of the bedroom, wearing nothing but his boxers, breakfast was laid out on the counter that separated his tiny kitchen from the living room and doubled as his dinner table.

"Whoa," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head as he looked over the meal she'd prepared. "Where'd you get all this?"

"Your fridge, believe it or not," Elena said, pouring a mug of coffee. "Wanted to do something nice. To say thanks, and, you know..." She made a face she hoped looked apologetic as she offered him the mug. "Sorry."

He accepted it and smiled. "Appreciate it, Lena."

He showed his appreciation by scarfing down the lion's share of the food. Boiled eggs, toast with apple jam and luchile nut butter, tiny fried sausages with ketchup – all of it vanished into him with alacrity. Where it went, Elena couldn't tell. Reno had his share of ropey muscle, but compared to Rude he was thin as a rake.

Rude... Elena stared into her coffee and gently gnawed on her bottom lip. Reno seemed to hold no grudges, but their bald colleague was more of a mystery to her. He said little, and let even less show on his face. She had no idea how he might react to her change of heart.

Once every plate was empty, Reno disappeared into the shower. Elena headed back to the bedroom to find her clothes. Her dress was folded over a chair, but the rest had been dropped to the floor the second she'd taken them off. Her black stay-ups had landed at the foot of the bed. Elena inspected them as she rolled them up her legs, one after the other. By some miracle they hadn't gotten ripped during the previous night's activities. Her memories were a little hazy... but they were certainly enough to make her blush. As ashamed as she was of her rude behavior, she couldn't deny that the sex had been _sizzling_. To be taken like that...

Elena straightened her leg, toes pointed. She caressed the silky fabric as she remembered how swiftly Reno had yanked up her skirt, how easily he'd lifted her and pushed her into the wall. It was no longer embarrassment that made her face hot.

A low whistle made her look up. Reno stood in the doorway, a crooked smile on his face.

"That's a damn good look on you."

Her blush deepened, joined by a delicious flutter in her belly. She'd taken off his t-shirt to get dressed, so she sat on his bed wearing only her stay-ups. No wonder he was drinking in the sight of her with such greed in his eyes.

"I could say the same thing," she said as she let her gaze roam over his body. She didn't often see him in casual clothes... which was a shame, because his oversized Turk suit was far too efficient at hiding his toned physique. In nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans, the man was pure eye candy.

Reno pushed himself off the doorframe and sauntered toward her. Elena's mouth went dry. Was he flexing his abs like that on purpose?

He sat next to her, almost close enough to touch. With a single finger, he traced the lacy trim of her stocking. His smile grew wider as she nudged her thighs apart.

"You didn't finish last night, did you?"

A flash of memory – cold bricks at her back and a searing, pounding heat between her legs – sent a pleasant shiver up her spine.

"No," she breathed.

Reno's finger reached the inside of her thigh, and travelled up a bit, just enough to ghost over her soft, bare skin. He leaned closer.

"Want to fix that?" His breath was hot in her ear, his lips close enough to brush the shell of it.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh scent of his showered skin.

"Yes, please."

Reno fingers inched up her thigh; far too slowly for her liking. She placed her hand directly on the front of his jeans, pleased to find proof of his growing desire. She squeezed, and enjoyed his quiet gasp even more.

"How do you want it, babe?" he asked hoarsely.

"Hard..." She wet her lips, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Like last night."

He pulled back to study her face, his eyebrows raised high.

"You liked that, did you?"

"Are you surprised?"

"Well," he said with a sheepish chuckle, "you did sorta end up crying."

"That was just..." Elena tried to think of the right word, but she was too aroused to bother searching for long. "All the other stuff. The sex was... _hot_." She stroked the bulge in his jeans. "Just thinking about it turns me on."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, and a hungry smile spread across his face.

"Want me to hold you down," his voice dropped to a low purr as he slid his hand over hers, pressing it harder against his groin, "while I fuck your brains out with this?" With a snap of his hips, he shoved his stiffening cock into her hand.

Elena sucked in a shaky breath. The rational parts of her brain were already shutting down from all-consuming lust.

"Yes, please." It was little more than a sigh.

"Then turn around and get on your knees," he growled in her ear, and a powerful jolt shot down between her legs, stealing her breath away. "You're gonna give me a show in these first." He squeezed her stocking-bound thigh, just below the lace.

As she rolled over and climbed up on the bed, he got up to stand behind her.

"Bend over."

She peeked over her shoulder. Reno was watching her, slowly kneading the front of his jeans, his eyes dark with desire. How could he her make her feel so raunchy and so worshipped at the same time?

_Worshipped is miles better than 'stunning'_.

She couldn't imagine Fabio standing behind her, eating her up with his eyes, and no way in hell did she want to. She shoved him out of her mind for good, and took a few moments to burn Reno's sexy figure into her memory; his wicked smile, his crazy hair, the rangy masculine lines of his body. With one last smile at him she slowly leaned forward, sliding her palms down her thighs. Once her fingers reached the mattress, she walked forward with her hands until she was on all fours, showing him everything.

"Oh, hell yeah," Reno groaned. "You're so fucking hot, Lena."

Elena arched her back like a cat in heat and swayed her hips from side to side. So raunchy. So thoroughly worshipped.

"Touch yourself."

His command sent such a thrill through her that it actually made her shiver. She shifted her weight and closed her eyes as she slid her hand in between her thighs. Her lips were plump and tender, so ready to be touched and titillated, and her fingers were soon slick with her wetness. She may have gone through a rollercoaster of ups and down in the past twelve hours, but her body had clearly been craving this ever since their furious fuck in the alley. Her swollen clit throbbed from the slightest caress, and her hole was aching with the need to be filled, with _anything_. She pushed the tip of her finger inside and rolled it around her entrance with a gratified sigh, relishing the way her muscles quivered and clenched in eager response.

" _Fuck_ , yes," Reno hissed. "You need it so bad, don't you?"

She responded with a lusty moan, and heard him unzip his jeans, heard the thud of heavy fabric hitting the floor. That was all the warning she got before he grabbed her hips and yanked her right up to the edge of the bed. With a firm hand between her shoulder blades, he shoved her down onto her elbows.

"Ass up, face down," he growled. "That's how I want you."

Elena yelped as he rammed his cock into her without warning. He even tried to grind it deeper as she mewled and clawed at the sheets, her back tensed in a rigid arch. He filled her up to her limits, stretched her right up to the point where it all went from overwhelming to _unbearable_.

"Still want it hard, babe?"

"Yes," she panted. "I just need... a second..."

"Sure thing," he purred.

His hands slid from her hips up to her waist and back again. He stayed buried inside her as he stroked her lower back with firm fingers, kneading her muscles with his thumbs. He moved them down to her ass, spread her cheeks for a second; she could picture the wolfish grin on his face as he gazed at the base of his cock, pressed up snugly against her pussy. His hands traveled farther down and caressed her stockings, then returned to her hips. With a firm hold on them, he pulled her even tighter to him, pushing his dick in a fraction deeper. Elena's gasp turned into a drawn-out moan as he rolled his hips around.

Reno pulled out halfway, then slammed back in. What she'd felt as a sharp pang at the first thrust, was now a dark bloom of pleasure in the deepest part of her core. She moaned louder, tilted her hips up toward him, and this time he pulled out to the tip before ramming back home. He did it again, and again, turning her moans into a high-pitched wail.

It was pure, carnal, unbridled lust; it was penance and sweet forgiveness, all rolled into one. Elena flung an arm around her head to brace herself against the mattress, so she could bring her other hand up between her legs. She went straight for her sweet spot and pressed down hard, and her whole lower body went taut at the delicious flash of electric heat that went through her.

Behind her Reno grunted, no doubt feeling her muscles clench hungrily around him. He was hammering into her in a continuous blur of deep, dark ecstasy. His hands dug into her hips, his balls slapped against her fingers; fingers that were rubbing her clit just as furiously as he fucked her. She could feel it rising; a glorious tidal wave, growing taller with every merciless thrust. It swelled and swelled... and then it burst free, sweeping over her, and washed away every coherent thought in its wake. She screamed and thrashed, her thighs jerking uncontrollably as Reno worked up to a punishing pace. He held onto her, squeezed her shaking legs as he chased his climax inside her body. His grunts grew louder and louder, until he pulled out, pulled away – and she felt something hot and wet splash all over her ass and pussy, accompanied by his groan of satisfaction.

As Elena slid forward on the bed, collapsing in slow motion, Reno flopped down on his back next to her. The bounce of the mattress helped her fall flat on her tummy. For a while they lay listless beside each other, waiting for their hearts and breaths to slow down. Her whole body was throbbing, pulsing from deep within all the way out to her damp skin. She couldn't have strung two thoughts together even if she'd had the energy to try.

She felt the bed shift, sensed Reno's body stretch out as he groaned, then felt him roll closer to her.

"So... That hard enough for you?" he drawled as he ran his fingertips across her back.

Elena cracked her eyes open just a smidge, and found Reno's face mere inches from hers. Behind that mop of red hair she could barely make out his turquoise eyes, twinkling with wicked glee. She smiled and dragged her arms in under her head as a pillow.

"Mm. I think you'll have to help me find my brain."

He laughed quietly. "A job well done, huh?"

She hummed absently, still bleary enough to prefer his caresses to his pillow talk. His hand traveled over the small of her back and up the curve of her ass, until he hit one of the wet splashes he'd left on her. His grin grew wide as he looked down at his smeared fingers.

"Whoops. Someone's a bit of a dirty girl."

"And whose fault is that?" she mumbled, smiling.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I'll get tissues or something," he said, crawling off the bed.

While she got cleaned up and dressed, Reno called Rude and told him of their afternoon plans. Rude agreed to come over, and Reno seemed carefree about the whole thing, but Elena couldn't shake the nagging doubt that had begun knotting up inside her.

Reno took them to her place in his car. A company car for company use, technically, but after Meteorfall it had sort of drifted into his hands full-time. A fact she was very grateful for as she sat beside him without underwear, rubbing her tender toes through the straps of her high heels. It would not have been a comfortable ride in a taxi.

It was a relief to change into fresh, clean clothes. To match Reno's casual dress, Elena picked out a pleated plaid skirt and button-down shirt with tiny sleeves and shiny mother-of-pearl buttons. The outfit was far more girly than what she usually wore, which was exactly why she picked it. She didn't want to be one of the guys this time. She wanted this weekend to feel different. To _be_ different.

As she did up the last buttons on her shirt she heard the doorbell ring, followed by voices in her living room. It had to be Rude. Elena took a few more moments to touch up her makeup in the mirror, then breathed in deeply to brace herself.

"–up getting it on last night," she heard Reno say as she opened her bedroom door. "This morning, too. Wish you could've been there, buddy, it was one hell of a ride."

It was odd to hear him speak of her like that. Not because she minded him telling Rude about it; he'd just never needed to before. It had always been the three of them together.

The guys looked up as she entered the living room, and Elena had to pause for a double take. If Reno looked different in casual wear, it was odder still to see Rude in khaki trousers and a slim t-shirt. Their previous weekend trysts had involved them stumbling into a bar straight after work, and then into bed, still in their uniforms. Seeing Rude like this compounded Elena's uncertainty; she had no clue how they were meant to act around each other on such personal terms.

It was silly, really, considering just how up close and personal they'd been with each other. This was new territory, though; territory she wasn't sure how to navigate. She and Reno were the ones who'd suggested the date. She and Reno were the ones who'd kissed and made up. She'd yet to hear Rude's opinion on any of it.

It didn't help that Rude didn't even try to smile. If anything, the furrows between his eyebrows only deepened as he watched her.

"So it's over."

"Yeah," Reno said, "Like I told you, she's–"

"No." Rude's voice rumbled like approaching thunder. "Not you. I want to hear it from her."

Reno's smile faded as he studied his partner.

"Right. Okay, man. I'll, uh..." He licked his lips, glancing at Elena, and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder toward the front door. "I'll go pick up a few things from the store."

The door fell shut behind him, leaving her and Rude alone. Elena couldn't keep her hands still. She'd seen worry in Reno's face, she was sure of it, but she couldn't read anything in Rude's. His eyes were hidden behind his dark lenses. His features were perfectly still, like the eye of a hurricane.

"It's over," she said before the silence would smother her, echoing his words.

"Who ended it?" It sounded like an accusation.

"He did," she confessed, staring down at her fidgeting hands.

"So it's over until something better comes along, and then you throw us out with the trash again."

"No!" She looked up in startled disbelief, but Rude turned his head toward the front door.

"Reno expects it, you know. Thinks it's the best he's going to get." He faced her again, and she could feel his eyes even through his shades. "He shouldn't have to. Not from one of _us_."

Elena felt her heart sink to the floor, heavy with guilt.

"Listen... I'm sorry I ended things the way I did–"

"It's not that you _ended_ it. It's that you expect us to _continue_ like nothing happened."

"No! I don't expect that at all!"

"What, then?" He ground out each word as if he'd rather be grinding bones to dust.

"It won't be the same," she insisted. "This, whatever this might be, it's something new. Something I've never navigated before." Elena took a step forward and mustered a frail smile. "Please, Rude. I made mistakes, I realize that now, but I can learn from them. I want to give us another chance."

He didn't answer. He didn't react in any way at all. His hands were balled into fists by his sides, the muscles of his arms locked as tight as his jaw.

"Reno's willing," she tried, hoping that might get some kind of reaction from him.

Rude scoffed.

"He's quick to anger, but even quicker to forgive. If he cares about you, he'll forgive again and again." There was a touch of scorn in his voice, but she picked up on something else as well; something much like sadness.

Elena's mouth fell open as a terrible realization sunk in. If she'd painted Reno in the wrong colors based on rumor, she hadn't bothered to paint Rude at all. He was the quiet one standing in Reno's shadow, the one so easily overlooked. When she'd broken things off, she'd spoken only to Reno, watched only his reactions. Deep down, she'd believed Rude would quietly follow Reno this time, too.

Rude had every right to be angry with her.

"And you won't?" she whispered, feeling wetness pool in her eyes.

Rude stayed silent. Her heart thumped in her chest, louder and harder for every second that passed, while he just stared at her.

"I give second chances," he finally said. "I don't give a third."

Elena let out the breath she'd been holding.

"I understand."

"And if I give you a second chance... I trust you to think carefully."

_Before you make decisions. Before you act. Before you hurt someone_. He didn't specify what he meant, and he didn't need to.

"I will. I promise."

Rude gave a solemn nod, and as he did, the air itself seemed to change between them. She could breathe it easier, could pass through it and place a hand on his chest; tentatively, cautiously, searching his face for the slightest sign. To her relief he was no longer carved from stone – he lowered his chin and sighed.

"How can I make it up to you?" she whispered.

"I want to mean something." He spoke quietly, but his words were firm.

She raised her other hand, placed both of them on his chest as she gazed up at him.

"You do."

Rude cradled her cheeks with firm hands, keeping her face tilted up to his. She could see her own face in his lenses, her eyes huge in their distorted reflection.

"Then show it," he murmured.

The lump in her throat made it impossible to speak, so she nodded instead. Rude said nothing; he bent down and touched his lips to hers. Just a chaste, soft kiss on the lips, yet it seemed to break her heart into a hundred pieces and glue them back together again, all at once. He began to pull away, but he didn't get far before she got up on her toes and kissed him again. Two kisses became three, then four, and then his fingers were in her hair and his tongue in her mouth, and her hands were roving up his back–

The rattle of a key entering a lock made them break the kiss, and they looked up just as Reno poked his head in through the front door. A smile grew on his face as he looked from her to Rude.

"Hate to interrupt, guys, but daylight's a-wasting. You can make out in the backseat."

With a giggle that was more from relief than anything, Elena took a step back.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked Rude, wiping the corners of her eyes.

He nodded and caressed her cheek. "I think we're all ready."


	4. Sunshine After the Rain

The waterfall's roar was just a murmur at this distance, but the sheer size of the silvery barrage was no less impressive. The flow broke into three smaller cascades as it plummeted past craggy rocks and clumps of vibrant trees, before joining again into a deceptively calm river at the bottom of the ravine. Smiling, Elena watched the water tumble away, and the rainbow that the sun made in the mist of tiny droplets in the air.

"How did you find this place?" she asked Reno.

They had staked out their picnic on a little patch of grass about halfway up the ridge. He was stretched out along one side of the red blanket she'd brought, with his empty backpack rolled up under his head. He gazed up at the blue sky with half-lidded eyes as he balanced a glass of apple wine just below his ribs, holding it in place with a few fingers over the base. The glasses were Rude's, who was resting on his side to her right. He was the one who'd brought the apple wine from Kalm, along with a box of strawberries.

"Found it on one of my morning runs," Reno mumbled, "back when we were all shacked up at Healen."

Elena's mouth fell open.

"You go running?"

They'd spent several months at Healen – Tseng was still living up there with their President – but Rude and Reno had shared a cabin at the time, so she hadn't learned much about their personal lives. All she knew of Reno was that he liked to smoke and drink and would happily devour anything with too much sugar in it, so she'd assumed the rest of his habits would be no better.

Reno peeked at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned.

"Every weekday at oh-six-hundred hours sharp." He raised his glass as if toasting to it and took an awkward swig.

"Hang on... Were _you_ in the military?"

" _Hell_ no," he said with a snort, "but when I fucked up as a rookie Tseng would make me join the soldier boys and gals on their morning runs. Guess I pissed him off often enough to make it a habit."

She laughed and shook her head.

"Why am I not surprised."

She stretched out and snatched up a handful of roasted pepio nuts; her favorite snack, hence she'd brought them. The square felt blanket they rested on was hers, too. The chips and sour cream dip were Reno's additions. It wasn't the best-planned picnic Elena had attended, but she found a certain charm in that. There were no expectations to live up to; just her and the guys having a lazy Saturday. Funny how she'd thought of that as boring just a few weeks ago.

The distant rush of the water and the trills of Healen's local birds were relaxing, and brought on gentle pangs of nostalgia. Those first months after Meteorfall, when they'd found their president and brought him out to Healen, had given rise to a special kind of camaraderie. Where most of Shinra had fallen and burned to ashes, the five of them – four Turks and Rufus Shinra – had banded together against the world. Their days at Healen had been filled with grief, disbelief and faltering hope... and the only peace she had found had dwelled in the quiet sounds of a nature untouched by the devastation of Midgar.

"You run too, don't you?"

Elena blinked as Reno's question pulled her back to the present.

"You've seen me?"

"Nah, just the running shoes by the door at your place," he said, reaching for the bag of chips. "If you want a buddy and don't mind the early start, just say the word. We don't live that far from each other, after all."

She'd tried not to think about her upcoming Monday morning run. She'd even thought about skipping it altogether, but as she considered Reno's suggestion, her desire for running stirred again.

"I might just take you up on that."

Elena looked over as Rude poured himself more wine. She held out her glass and he topped it up too. Once he'd set down the bottle, he picked up one of the strawberries and offered it to her. When she tried to take it, though, he drew it out of her reach and shook his head. Smiling faintly, he held it out to her again, closer to her face.

With a pleasant jolt in her belly, Elena realized what he had in mind. She leaned in, watching his face as she wrapped her lips around the strawberry, and pressed a gentle kiss to his fingertips before she pulled back. Smiling, she picked up another strawberry from the box and returned the favor. Rude's breath was hot and moist on her skin as he plucked the fruit from her fingers, and it made her heart thump twice as hard in her chest.

"Fuck me," Reno chuckled behind them. "You guys are the worst saps I know."

"No need to be jealous," she teased, giving him a coy smile over her shoulder. "Plenty of strawberries here."

"Nah, no thanks. Now, if you'd brought some whipped cream I could lick off you..." He waggled his eyebrows.

Elena gave him a good-natured roll of the eyes, then turned back to Rude and fed him another strawberry. She couldn't see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but the rest of his face was easier to read when he was at ease. Soon, their little grassy field filled with giggles and low, rumbling laughter.

When only a few strawberries remained in the box, Reno cleared his throat. When Elena turned around, she saw that he'd pushed himself up onto one elbow and was watching them with a strange look on his face.

"I've been doing some thinking," he said, "after the chat we had yesterday. About dating and stuff." He looked from her to Rude, and back at her. "There's something I'd like to run by you guys."

He kept turning his wine glass in his hands, round and round. Elena looked back at Rude, but he just shrugged.

"Go on," she said.

"Turns out I missed you, while you were going out with what's-his-face." Reno gave her an odd smile that was almost apologetic. "Truth is... I like what we've got, the three of us, and I want to keep it going. You like this girlfriend-boyfriend idea. So, I was thinking... why don't we make us a thing?"

Elena stared at him. She would have dismissed it as a joke, had he not been so nervous about it.

"Like, a girlfriend-boyfriend kind of 'thing'?"

"Well..." He flashed a half-hearted grin and glanced over at Rude. "Boy _friends_ , as in two of us."

She looked at Rude, too. He didn't seem as surprised as she felt. His face was solemn as he turned toward her, and she could practically hear the words he didn't speak out loud. _Think carefully_.

"That's..." Elena realized she had no idea how to end that sentence. "How would that even work?"

"A lot like it has so far, I'd think. All of us together like this. One on one at times." Reno stared up at the sky in thought, then shrugged. "We'll figure it out. We already know how to work together. We could make this work, too."

As Elena tried to imagine it, the images she saw in her mind's eye were memories: the three of them having breakfast together, them lounging on a couch, them pleasuring each other. It wasn't much of a leap to picture the three of them having dinner at a nice restaurant, or enjoying the sunshine on a beach in Costa del Sol.

"What do you think, buddy?" Reno asked.

Rude was silent for a few moments, then nodded slowly.

"It could work."

Reno looked at her. The anxious hope she'd heard in his voice was there in his eyes, too.

Was it so strange, really? Her family might deem it the worst scandal since Auntie Ava took on a lover twenty years her junior, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Although... seeing the scandalized looks on the faces of her aunts and uncles might just be worth it.

"Grammy did ask if I'd finally bring a _beau_ to her birthday party next month," she mused with a wry smile. "Telling her I've got two ought to go down a storm."

Reno's chuckle seemed to let out the tension from his shoulders.

"Nah, just bring Rude." He grinned at the bald man, who raised an eyebrow. "He's the kinda guy you'll want to show off to family."

"Dad would approve of the strong, silent type, I suppose... I'm pretty sure Grammy has a soft spot for redheads, though."

Reno snorted out another delighted laugh, then quickly sobered again.

"Seriously, though... I know it ain't the usual way people do this, but since when do Turks give a fuck about doing shit the usual way? I like you. Rude likes you." He paused to look at Rude, who nodded. "If you like us, ain't that all that matters?"

Elena felt a warmth spread in her chest. Their admissions came so easily, so naturally.

She _did_ like them both. She'd only broken it off because she'd thought it wouldn't go anywhere. If there was a chance it might...

"Boyfriends," she said out loud, drawing out the "s" at the end, and smiled at them both in turn. "I like the sound of that."

Slowly, a grin spread across Reno's face until he beamed brighter than the sun.

"Well, shit," he laughed. "Come on, we gotta drink to this!"

He grabbed the bottle and divided up the rest of the apple wine between them. They raised their glasses; she and Rude took a sip, while Reno emptied his glass in one go. He licked his lips, then set his glass down with a contented sigh.

"So, now that we're an item and all... How do you guys want to celebrate?"

Elena glanced at Rude with a sly smile, which he returned.

"Oh, I think you know the answer to that," she purred to Reno.

She set her glass down, then scooted closer to Rude. Smiling up at him, she cupped his cheek and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. She traced the curve of it with little pecks, then parted her lips and brushed the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip. Beneath the tangy sweetness of apple wine, she could still taste the strawberries.

As the kiss deepened, she felt the warmth of Rude's large hand on her hip. He slid it over her thigh, down to the hem of her skirt, and slowly pushed it up on the way back again. Little goosebumps formed on her exposed skin, more from the thrill of his touch than any chill; the beaming midday sun warmed her skin, while inside she was quickly heating up with desire.

His hand pushed her skirt up to her waist, then brushed over the skin of her belly and continued across the smooth fabric of her panties. Elena made a contented noise deep in her throat as she felt his fingers nudge in between her thighs, and gasped softly into their kiss as they caressed her most sensitive spot. It was a light touch, a _teasing_ touch, and she just knew he was going to pay her back for the times she'd made him pant and squirm. Elena moaned in delighted anticipation.

She was so caught up with what Rude's hand was doing, that she didn't realize Reno had moved until she felt his lanky body press into her from behind. He brought his body flush with hers and rolled his hips, rubbing up against her ass. Even through his jeans, it was abundantly clear he'd been enjoying the show. His mouth found the side of her neck, and he teased her tender skin with gentle bites as he placed his hand on her knee and lifted her leg, giving Rude more room to work his magic with his fingers.

Two hard erections; one pressed up against her ass, the other poking into her thigh. Elena relished the proof of their desire, front and back. They _wanted_ her, and by all the gods of Gaia she wanted them both. She shuddered at how close she'd come to losing them. How could she have been so foolish?

Rude's strokes had become longer, from her clit all the way to her entrance. He rubbed his fingers firmly up and down her pussy, caressing her through her panties. The slinky fabric was already soaked through, and the silky friction was so exquisite Elena didn't know how she would bear it. She pushed a hand in under Rude's shirt, all the way to her elbow, then raked her fingers down his back. He tensed and grunted, but his hand never paused. His skin was damp under her fingers, and she could feel the stretch and coil of his muscles underneath. All that strength and power, focused solely on the task of getting her off; it was _intoxicating_.

Reno slid his hand over her chest, groping her breast through her clothes, then continued up to the buttons of her shirt. One by one he popped them open with his nimble fingers. Reluctantly, Elena slid her hand out from under Rude's shirt to wriggle out of her sleeve. Reno unclasped her bra and slipped the strap over her arm as well, letting one of her breasts spring free. Rude scooted down and sucked her nipple into his mouth, while Reno's hand returned to her knee and held her legs open for Rude.

They worked together so seamlessly to lay her bare. They could lift her with ease, could spread her wide open or pin her in place to give the other full access to her body, for both their enjoyment and hers. This was what she was addicted to; their strength and their care, the vulnerability combined with the heady power of being serviced by two men. When she closed her eyes, she felt so many hands and fingers and lips and tongues pleasuring her body that it all became an erotic blur.

One touch stood out above the others, though, because it was driving her to out of her mind. Rude's hand was relentlessly, _ruthlessly_ slow as he stroked her between her legs. No matter how much she whimpered and strained against Reno's unwavering hold, Rude refused to hurry. Each deliberate caress brought her a little higher, a little closer. There was an inevitability to it, a deliciously steady progress that was as enjoyable as the climax itself – yet so _torturous_ all at once.

And when she reached the point of no return, it wasn't an explosive release; she inched over the brink in slow motion, teetering right on that wonderful edge for several mind-blowing seconds. She felt her muscles begin to clench in a familiar rhythm, felt that carnal relief swell and bloom and spread, inch by slow inch, until all of her had crossed over at last and she collapsed in a trembling, glorious mess.

Elena was distantly aware of hands sliding over her body, caressing her clothes off her. They guided her onto her back, pushed her knees apart. She obliged, and didn't open her eyes until she felt a body on top of her, settling in between her legs. She was greeted by Rude's brown eyes, gazing down at her. Despite the sunshine, he'd removed his shades.

Just for her.

"Hi," he mumbled.

Elena smiled, feeling her eyes tear up.

"Hi," she whispered, and pulled him down for a kiss – and as they kissed, he pushed into her. Her walls, so wet and tingling in the afterglow of her orgasm, gave in eagerly and welcomed him inside. He filled her up again and again, still following the same deliberate rhythm – he was seeking his own release, but his efforts also prolonged her pleasure, drew it up to new heights.

They broke the kiss but did not pull apart; his forehead touched hers and their eyes were locked as they shared short gasps of breath. She wrapped her legs around his waist and used them meet to his thrusts and pull him in deeper. She wanted all of him, in her, as deep as he could go. After the pain she had caused, she wanted him to find joy with her again, in both body and soul.

Her eyes drifted closed at some point, as she reveled in the closeness of his body and in the sensations of him moving inside her. She realized he was coming when he tensed above her, and she opened her eyes to see his were screwed shut. He pushed all the way inside her in a slow slide, holding his breath – until he released in it a slow sigh and sank down on his elbows. Elena smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't sure whether the warmth spreading inside her was his seed or just the glow of satisfaction. Either worked for her.

She sure knew which it was that oozed out of her as he pulled out, though.

After a quick peck on her lips, Rude rolled aside, and a tap on her arm made her look to her left. Reno smiled at her, holding up a strawberry. He lay beside her without a single thread of clothing on his slim, pale body. As he brought the strawberry to her face, his cock pressed against her thigh, hard and ready for action.

Elena was ready, too. She was _so_ ready for round two.

She nabbed the strawberry from his fingers, and took hold of his wrist. She gazed into his eyes as she chewed and swallowed the fruit, and made sure to keep eye contact as she leaned down and took two of his fingers in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around them, and sucked gently as she let them slide out between her lips. Reno watched with rapt attention, his eyes glazed over with lust.

"Fuck, Lena," he groaned. "How did you get so damn sexy?"

He pounced her, rolled her onto her back, and before she could blink he was between her legs. He didn't just shove it in as she expected, though; instead he reached up and caressed her hair out of her face.

"How did you get so beautiful?" he whispered.

Elena forgot how to breathe. She stared up into his eyes, intense with desire – yet warm with an affection she didn't expect to see in him, not like this.

He didn't kiss her like Rude had, but he slid into her just as slowly, drawing it out as he watched her face. Reno wasn't just entering her; he was _joining_ her, or so it felt to Elena as she gazed up at him. He sighed softly once he was all the way inside her, far enough to brush up against her deepest points. He stretched her in different ways, yet he fit inside her just as perfectly as Rude.

He pressed a single kiss to her lips, then shifted above her. The base of his cock pushed against her pussy as he moved up along her, and she gasped as he rubbed across her sweetest spot.

Reno placed another kiss on her forehead.

"You like that?" he murmured.

Breathless, she could only nod eagerly. He moved again, sliding a little farther out of her. Elena hissed in another breath as his slick shaft stroked her whole pussy, from the inside all the way to her clit, which turned into a moan as he pushed back in. The next time he pulled out she mirrored his movements, drawing back to push her hips up to meet him as he rocked into her again, and every nerve between her legs lit up with joy.

"Keep going," she panted, and Reno obliged. It was such a small movement, just a slight rocking of their hips, but the effect it had on her was immense. Her body, already sensitized by the pleasure Rude had given her, began tensing up in familiar ways, building up to another peak. When Reno added a little roll to the movement of his hips, grinding against her as he pushed back in, her thighs jerked in immediate response.

Was this really happening? Was she really going to...?

Elena could scarcely believe it, but her body's reaction to the slick, wonderful friction of his cock was undeniable. Her fingers dug into his back in her desperation to keep him close, to keep him doing _exactly_ what he was doing to her.

"Don't stop," she whimpered. "Don't stop!"

"You gonna come, Lena?" His voice was low and husky, little more than a growl. "You gonna come for me?"

"I... I'm..."

Whatever she'd been trying to say was lost in a shrill cry, as much from stunned surprise as from the burst of ecstasy that shocked her body. Her back arched off the ground, her body rigid. Reno pushed himself up to his knees, lifting her hips, and plunged his cock all the way into her tightly-coiled body, making her _scream_. He clutched her waist as he slammed into her in a frantic rush, again and again, and just before the last ripples of her orgasm began to wane, he tensed and cried out, spilling into her.

Elena went completely limp. She felt Reno slowly do the same above her, his chest heaving against hers as he gasped for air. Their bodies felt hotter than the sun, his skin damp where it touched hers.

"I've... never," she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. "I've never come like that."

She felt Reno's chest shake with a chuckle she could barely hear, and he turned his head just enough to press a weary kiss to her cheek. His cock was still inside her, still hard enough to fill her pleasantly. Without opening her eyes, she raised her heavy arms and hugged him close. She rolled her hips languidly, enjoying the little jolts of bliss that shot through her whenever his dick rubbed against a particularly sensitive spot.

They parted eventually. She'd expected the three of them to reek of sex, but the gentle breeze carried the scent of sun-kissed skin and fresh grass. She stretched lazily before taking a look around. The blanket she'd laid out so neatly was a rumpled mess. How she'd ever get the grass stains off it, she didn't know.

All things considered, it was small price to pay for _that_ kind of bliss.

Rude, with his shades firmly in place again, had filled his glass with something clear and bubbly. Reno raised his head enough to give it a curious look.

"That more booze you got there?"

Rude shook his head and picked up a plastic bottle.

"Fizzy water." He held it out over Elena's body.

Reno whined, but took the bottle. He gulped down several mouthfuls, then passed it on to Elena. As she poured herself a glass, he leaned back on his elbows. He squinted up at the sun, then looked over at the waterfall. He smiled.

"This ain't such a bad way to spend the day, huh? Could make a habit of this."

With a contented smile, Elena looked from him to Rude. Rude was smiling, too. Sandwiched between her sweet, sexy, _skilled_ boyfriends, with sunshine warming her face as her body still buzzed with gratification, she could only agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'aww. You know, it was pretty fun to ride the emotional highs and lows with these guys. I might even do more stories like this, with a tiny bit of plot that spans a few chapters. (Like that idea? You could always let me know with a comment or kudos.)


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